Manhattan Associates Expands RFID Testing Facilities

ATLANTA -- Manhattan Associates, Inc., the global leader in providing supply chain execution and optimization solutions, opened the doors of its new and expanded Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) testing facility in Atlanta, Georgia. The purpose of the new facility is to increase Manhattan Associates' product assessment capabilities for its customers. The facility will be staffed by Manhattan Associates' RFID team, who will draw upon its expertise and the experience gained from completing more than 20 effective product assessments.

The RFID Lab provides a representative customer environment in which Manhattan Associates can evaluate various RFID technologies and equipment with clients' products. Manhattan Associates can then provide customers with specific feedback from the testing process so that clients can make more informed decisions before purchasing the optimal RFID solution for their supply chain operations. In addition to the lab in Atlanta, Manhattan Associates can also provide a mobile RFID Lab for customers that prefer to complete product testing at their facilities.

Within the lab, Manhattan Associates' staff of trained RFID experts conducts analysis using customer specifications and Manhattan Associates' internally-developed testing methodology and Readability Software and Analysis Tools. Certified Manhattan Associates' RFID equipment is used in the process, along with the customer's products and packaging and any additional physical or material handling equipment, such as conveyor portals or dock doors. Multiple types of tags, readers and printers (Class 1 and Class 0+) from several vendors are evaluated for the best use, and other special requirements are considered.

Manhattan Associates was the first supply chain execution and optimization solutions provider to join the Auto ID Center (now EPC Global) and has been developing solutions that support RFID technology for several years. The company offers RFID solutions as well as regularly-scheduled RFID educational courses. With these offerings, Manhattan Associates advances support of RFID technology for its customers and aids in the swift, low-cost deployment of RFID technology in customers' facilities. Manhattan Associates' RFID-specific solutions include Integration Platform for RFID, EPC Manager and RFID-enabled functionality within our Integrated Logistics Solutions. Its "RFID in a Box" packaged solution was named one of the five Technologies of the Year in INDUSTRYWEEK's 11th annual Technology and Innovation Awards Program in November 2003.

Manhattan Associates has been providing Product Assessments for more than a year. Its evaluations have aided customers to:

	 
-- Document tagging requirements for trading partners
-- Determine optimal tag and type placement on product
-- Identify null points on product where a tag cannot be read at all
-- Validate/invalidate planned uses for technology within a facility
-- Simulate planned use cases/functional flows within operations
-- Test new technology with Manhattan Associates' Integrated Logistics
Solutions

"Companies today are searching for the right answer to RFID-one that not only provides compliance to retailers' requirements and government mandates, but suits their own present and future business needs as well," said Eddie Capel, senior vice president, product management for Manhattan Associates. "Our RFID Lab was designed to give customers a place to strategize around RFID-enabled technology before purchasing an RFID solution. Often, these evaluations uncover other opportunities for cost-savings and performance improvements in a customers' supply chain of which the customer was not even aware-such as ways to improve process flow or packaging systems."